Updated 4/9/15: This article is out of date; for the latest information with active links, here’s how to download and install the latest version of Windows 8.1 Update for free. Or go here to find out how to download Windows 10 Technical Preview.
The original story from October 21, 2013 follows below.
Windows 8.1 has been released. If you’re using Windows 8, upgrading to Windows 8.1 is both easy and free. If you’re using another operating system (Windows 7, Windows XP, OS X), you can either buy a boxed version ($120 for normal, $200 for Windows 8.1 Pro), or opt for one of the free methods listed below. To download and install Windows 8.1 for free, follow the guide below.
How to download Windows 8.1 for free
If you don’t want to wait for October 17 or 18, there are two options for downloading Windows 8.1: You can obtain a copy (and a license key) from a friend/colleague with an MSDN, TechNet, or DreamSpark (student) subscription, or you can download a Windows 8.1 RTM ISO from your favorite file-sharing website (The Pirate Bay, Mega, etc.)
While we’re not going to write a guide on how to obtain Windows 8.1 RTM from non-official sources, we will at least tell you to check the SHA-1 hash of the ISO that you download to make sure that it’s legitimate. If you hit up the MSDN Subscriber Downloads page, and then click Details under the version that you’ve obtained from elsewhere, you’ll find the SHA-1 hash. If you then use File Checksum Integrity Verifier (FCIV) on the ISO, the hash should match. If it doesn’t, assume the ISO has been compromised and download another. (But do make sure that you’re checking the right SHA-1 hash on the MSDN website; your ISO might be mislabeled).
The other easier, and completely legal, option is to download the Windows 8.1 Preview from Microsoft. It’s not as snappy as the final (RTM/GA) build, though, and has quite a few bugs/missing features. Bear in mind that if you go down this road, upgrading to a real version of Windows 8.1 will require a few more steps (discussed in the next section).
How to install Windows 8.1 for free
Once you have the Windows 8.1 ISO on your hard drive, the installation process is painless. Before you begin, you should consider backing up your important files and documents, but it’s not really necessary. You should also ensure that you have plenty of free hard drive space (20GB+).
If you’re already running Windows 8 and you downloaded the RTM ISO from somewhere other than the Windows Store, you can install Windows 8.1 by mounting the downloaded ISO in Explorer by double-clicking it, and then running the installer. If you’re on Windows 7, XP, or (bless your soul) Vista, you’ll need to burn the ISO to a USB thumb drive or DVD, or mount the ISO using a third-party virtual drive tool, like Magic ISO.
If you already have Windows 8, and you waited for the official release date, installing Windows 8.1 is as simple as visiting the Windows Store and downloading the free update.
In both these cases, the upgrade process should be very smooth, with your apps and settings fully preserved. If you upgrade from Windows 8.1 Preview, however, you will lose your installed apps, unless you first run a cversion.ini removal utility.
Once you’ve installed Windows 8.1, you should check out our extensive collection of Windows 8.1 tips and tricks, and be sure to check our Windows 8.1 review and hands-on impressions to ensure that you’re making the most of all the new features.
Chronicles of the Sword has a spiritual successor known as Libra of Soul from Soulcalibur VI, but with some major playable characters are now involved in that. Oct 19, 2018 - Soul Calibur 6's Main Story Mode, known as the Soul Chronicle, will re-tell. Alike battle for the fabled swords: The Soul Edge and Soul Calibur.
Oct 20, 2018 - Now we get on to the first proper stage. A mock battle against Abelia, who shows up a lot in this story. The map is a small area so two units can. For SoulCalibur VI on the PlayStation 4, a GameFAQs message board topic. Man chronicles was SO much fun, I have no idea why they ever.
Sebastian Anthony wrote the original version of this article. It has since been updated with new information.
A mentioned earlier, Windows 8.1 will be a free update for Windows 8 consumers later this year through the Windows Store – but today Microsoft has made available a preview version that will allow you to take a first-hand look at many of the new features and improvements in Windows 8.1.
Windows 8.1 Preview download
The Windows 8.1 Preview will be installed through the Windows Store. You will however, have to install an update available on the Preview page. This will enable your Windows 8 to offer the Windows 8.1 Preview update through the Windows Store. You may be required to reboot your system after the installation is over.
Now visit the Windows Store and click on the Download Windows 8.1 from the Windows Store. On reboot, you will see a message offering Windows 8.1 Preview. Click on Go to the Store. Here click on the Download button.
Windows 8.1 Preview will download, carry out some compatibility checks and then commence installation. Duringinstallation, your PC may reboot multiple times. Once the installation is complete, you will see the Start Screen of Windows 8.1 Preview.
If you as a Windows 8 user decide to install the Windows 8.1 Public Preview version, remember that you will have to reinstall your software, when you rollback to Windows 8 or move over to Windows 8.1 Final RTM version.
If you install the preview version and need to install the final RTM version, when it is released, during this upgrade from the preview to final RTM version, while your data will remain intact, you will later on need to reinstall all your apps.
Windows 8.1 Preview will expire on January 15, 2014. Uninstallation is not supported on Windows 8.1 Preview. You may want to read this post on Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 Preview Upgrade Policy before you proceed. So rather than upgrading your Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 Preview, we recommend that you install Windows 8.1 Preview on a separate partition.
If you are on Windows RT and have installed a language pack, please don’t install the Windows RT 8.1 Preview at this time. A fix is coming.
If you’re running Windows 8 Enterprise, you’ll need to install the preview using the ISO. Go here to learn more about Windows 8.1 Enterprise.
Windows 8.1 Preview is available in Arabic, English (US), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.
Windows 8.1 Preview System requirements
Windows 8.1 Preview works great on the same hardware that powers Windows 8:
- Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster
- RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
- Free hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
- Graphics card: MicrosoftDirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
Windows 8.1 Preview Product key
If you install Windows 8.1 Preview through the Windows Store, you don’t need a product key. If you download the ISO, you’ll need to enter this product key: NTTX3-RV7VB-T7X7F-WQYYY-9Y92F.
Windows 8.1 Preview download
The ISO is available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. The download size of Windows 8.1 Preview x86 is 2660 MB and of Windows 8.1 Preview x64 is 3580 MB. General public can also get the Windows 8.1 Preview Update or download the Windows 8.1 Preview Client ISO file with the built-in apps, if you want to install the preview on another partition, another PC, or a virtual machine. Once you have downloaded the ISO, you will have to burn the ISO to a DVD, which you can then use to install Windows 8.1 Preview.
Windows 8.1 Preview Video
http://youtu.be/7BN0W7CONpw
Windows 8.1 Preview Product Guide
Click here to download the Windows 8.1 Preview Product Guide. The Windows 8.1 Preview Product Guide for Developers is available here.
Check this post if you receive Your Windows 8.1 install couldn’t be completed error message.
TIP: Download this tool to quickly find & fix Windows errors automatically
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The following Microsoft's web page allows me to legally download Windows 8.1 installation media.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media
My laptop came with Windows 8.1 with Bing (referred to as Bing from now on), but installing Windows 10 Preview messed up the recovery partition. So I cannot reset my laptop to the factory default (Bing). My laptop did not come with any external recovery media such as a DVD or USB flash drive. The manufacturer does not allow me to download the recovery partition either.
Mass effect 2 zaeed loyal. Garrus and Miranda for dual Overload against many shields. No mission-specific story dialogue. Mordin and Miranda. Important story-wise to have your leads, and Warp and Incendiary are useful against Scions and the Praetorian.
As far as I know, the product key for Bing is embedded in the bios of my laptop, so I think it should be legal that I use an installation media downloaded from Microsoft. But the problem is, when I executed Windows Installation Media Creation Tool, I could not find Bing. The closest thing was Windows 8.1 (this should be the Core Edition which is functionally the same as Bing).
The tool says about 4 hours left. So I am not sure whether the media would automatically detect Bing. Is there any official way to create a media for Bing?
Some laptops and tablets now ship with Microsoft’s “Windows 8.1 with Bing” operating system, something you may see mentioned in their technical specifications. But how is this different from Windows 8.1 — is using Bing mandatory?
Like a lot of what’s going on around Windows 8 — especially with naming — Microsoft has created some unnecessary confusion here. The good news is that you don’t really need to care whether a device comes with Windows 8.1 with Bing or just Windows 8.1.
Windows 8.1 with Bing Enables Cheap Laptops and Tablets
RELATED:Do You Need the Professional Edition of Windows 8?
Windows 8.1 with Bing is just another Windows 8.1 edition, also called an SKU. Windows 8.1 offers a variety of editions, including the “core” edition of Windows 8.1, Windows 8.1 Professional, and Windows 8.1 Enterprise. We’ll leave the additional confusion of Windows RT aside.
Previously, the cheapest edition of Windows 8.1 for PC manufacturers was the core edition of Windows 8.1. To include Windows 8.1 on their computers, computer manufacturers have to pay a licensing fee for each copy. In the past, Microsoft has offered cheaper editions of Windows — for example, Windows 7 Starter — to help computer manufacturers lower Windows licensing costs on their most inexpensive computers. Windows 7 Starter went away when Windows 8 was released, so Windows licensing fees on cheaper laptops went up.
Windows 8.1 with Bing costs $0 for computer manufacturers to include on their laptops and tablets. That’s right — there’s no licensing fee at all. It’s designed so computer manufacturers can offer cheap laptops like HP’s forthcoming $200 Windows laptop. The manufacturer can keep all the money from the device without paying Microsoft a cent.
How to Get Windows 8.1 With Bing
This $0 edition of Windows is only free to system manufacturers. You can’t just go download Windows 8.1 with Bing and install it on your own computer. The cheapest retail version of Windows 8.1 you can buy yourself is still the core edition of Windows 8.1 at $120.
Windows 8.1 with Bing is only available for lower-cost devices. You’ll find Windows 8.1 with Bing on laptops costing $250 or less and cheap tablets smaller than nine inches. Those $1000+ Windows PCs will still require a more expensive version of Windows they’ll have to pay Microsoft for. There should be enough profit margin to go around on more expensive devices, but Microsoft is cutting their margins to compete with Chromebooks and inexpensive Android tablets on the low end.
What’s the Catch?
Windows 8.1 with Bing is free, but it does come with one catch. There’s a single requirement Microsoft imposes on hardware manufacturers here — Windows 8.1 with Bing “comes with Bing as the default search engine within Internet Explorer.”
For computer manufacturers, this means they can’t cut a deal with Google to offer Google as the default search engine and make an additional profit. To get that free copy of Windows, their computers will have to come with Bing as the default search engine — hence “Windows 8.1 with Bing.”
Note that even standard editions of Windows 8.1 come with Bing set as the default search engine in Internet Explorer. This means that there’s actually no functional difference between the core version of Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 with Bing — the only restriction is that computer manufacturers can’t change the default search engine before shipping the computer to you.
Do I Have to Use Bing?
RELATED:How To Change the Default Search Engine in Windows 8’s Internet Explorer 10
The good news here is that there’s actually no difference between Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 with Bing for users. In the past, cheaper versions of Microsoft software have been limited — witness Windows 7 Starter, which didn’t let you change your desktop wallpaper, and Office Starter, which showed you banner ads while working on office documents.
Windows 8.1 with Bing is different. To change Windows 8.1 with Bing into “Windows 8.1 Without Bing,” all you have to do is open Internet Explorer and change your default search engine. You’re free to change your default web browser, too. You can also disable the system-wide Bing search integration and even uninstall all those full-screen Bing “Store apps,” if you like. You don’t even have to use a Microsoft account — you could even use a local user account and not touch any of Microsoft’s online services.
Windows 8.1 with Bing doesn’t impose any limits on you, the computer user. It only prevents the computer manufacturer from changing the default search engine. If you ever used Windows 7 Starter or Office Starter, you’ll realize this is a huge improvement.
So There’s No Difference, Really?
Nope, there’s no difference. That Windows 8.1 with Bing laptop just comes with Bing as the default search engine, just as most Windows 8.1 laptops already do.
Microsoft realizes that they’re facing a hard struggle at the low-end with Chromebooks and cheap Android tablets. For Microsoft, a user who chooses a Windows 8.1 laptop or tablet is better than one who chooses a Chromebook or Android tablet, even if they don’t make a Windows licensing fee. Microsoft will make some profit from Bing search ads, and they’ll also have the opportunity to upsell their users with Windows Store apps, OneDrive storage, Office 365 subscriptions, and Xbox Music streaming.
So, do you need to care about Windows 8.1 with Bing? Not at all. It’s a bit confusing that such devices are even labeled as “Windows 8.1 with Bing” instead of just “Windows 8.1.” There’s no difference to the end user aside from the label “Windows 8.1 with Bing” appearing instead of “Windows 8.1” throughout the operating system.
Windows 8.1 Bing Edition Iso
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